Chinese Eggplant Fries

Eggplant is sliced into fries, then breaded and fried. This is a great side dish that I learned about while teaching English in China. It goes well as a side dish with seafood, burgers, barbecued meats or almost anything!

INGREDIENTS (for 6 servings):

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup cornmeal

1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste

salt and pepper to taste

2 eggs, beaten

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 eggplants, peeled and sliced into fries

PREPARATION:

In a shallow bowl, stir together the flour, cornmeal, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. Place the eggs in a separate bowl.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. A few at a time, dip the eggplant pieces into the egg, then into the flour mixture, then back into the egg, and back into the flour mixture. Fry the eggplant in the hot oil until golden brown. Drain on paper towels, and serve immediately.